California is the only state that pays teachers an average of 6 figures. Here's what's behind it.

A teacher instructs students at Moulton Elementary School in Laguna Niguel, California. Paul Bersebach/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images In 2024-2025, California public school teachers made an average of $103,552, according to NEA data. The salary reflects the high cost of living and state policies. California still falls behind many other states in some education metrics. In a country as large as the US, no two public schoolteachers' work is the same. Some may teach in a rural classroom of 10 students, while others oversee dozens of pupils in a crowded city school. As with many other industries, salary remains one of the biggest differences for teachers across the country. Business Insider recently compiled a list of the average public schoolteacher salary in every state, based on the National Education Association's Rankings of the States 2025 and Estimates of School Statistics 2026 report .